Layered Like a Cake

By KEITH LIGGETT

A house is built in layers. A foundation, then framing, siding, roofing, insulation, interior sheetrock or paneling, floor coverings and cabinets and so on. In between the layers, the plumbers set pipe. The electricians string wires.

Sometime later, a single person, or a couple, or a family might wander through the house and consider making it a home, their home.

Will it work? Three bedrooms. A nice kitchen. Great lot with views of the Sisters and the Lizard Range with the runs of FAR.

Will it do?

There are two parts to that question.

The first. Will it fit the lifestyle? That’s a personal choice and one arrived at late at night or early in the morning with the clarity of some distance and time.

The second. Is the house sound? Will it do for this year, next, four years and ten years down the line? That is an answer that is a little more complicated. Some points are easily seen. Kitchen Aid or Bosch? Formica counters or granite? Solid doors or hollow panel doors? All these are on the surface. In the end, the structure of the house is what matters. Is the wiring up to code? Is the plumbing sufficient? Is the foundation sound? Does it weep in the spring runoff? Are there insect issues?

There is no test driving a home. You cannot live in a house for a year before buying (usually). The answers to these questions will be found in a qualified home inspection. A home inspector will walk though a house noting little things we would normally pass over. A sag in the roofline might indicate a missing structural support. A crack in the corner drywall in the living room might indicate a sagging foundation. Spring run salmon spawning in the basement indicates a serious long-term water issue.
A house is a major commitment and it’s best to be fully aware of any major issues before you sign on the dotted line.

Butch Coultry of the Fernie ReMax office puts the need for a home inspection simply. “It’s a critical step in the home buying process. You learn exactly what you’re really buying.”

Home inspector Bob Langfield of Industrial Civil Installations, Ltd. approaches the issue from the dispassionate position of the inspector. “In buying a home, most people make an emotional decision. Is it in the right location? Close to schools? Does it feel right? Does it have a view? And so on.”

He goes on to explain when someone buys a house they usually look at the top of their qualified purchase range. “But a house could be lacking in insulation, might need a furnace upgrade, or a new roof, or even an upgraded electrical service. Today you cannot get insurance for a home with under a 100-amp service. With an ownership change that’s looked at and you may have to upgrade the service. Any one of those issues could run anywhere from two to four or five thousand dollars. Or even more, say for a new roof. Combine a couple or three issues and you can add fifteen to twenty thousand in unexpected costs to a house. That may put it out of reach for some families.”

A qualified home inspector works from a template to carefully document the condition and nature of the house. By running through an exhaustive checklist, they cover the structure and condition from foundation to ridge. Some things might be minor—a three-way switch not working. Some might be major—cracks in the foundation. All is given to you in a written report.

(For a tremendous example of what a final report looks like, visit Bob’s web site at www.homeguage.ca.)

One last thing. In the last couple houses I’ve been involved with, I found it was interesting to go along for the inspection. The inspectors will give you a running commentary as they walk through, crawl through and climb ladders. Much of this running commentary never makes it into the final report.

At the end, you’ll still love your new home, you’ll just have a better idea of the sort of (warts and all) toad you’ve decided to love.